Buying an HDTV

By Komando Staff

The first thing you need to determine is the size you’re aiming for. An 80-inch TV just isn’t going to work in a small apartment. And a 32-inch TV isn’t ideal for a large family room.

There is a formula to help you choose the ideal screen size. Measure the distance between your couch and your TV. The size of the TV should be between one-half and one-third that distance. That gives you the minimum size and maximum size you would want to buy.

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To help you out, here are some examples:

Distance

Minimum size

Maximum size

6 feet

24-inch screen

36-inch screen

8 feet

32-inch screen

48-inch screen

10 feet

40-inch screen

60-inch screen

12 feet

48-inch screen

72-inch screen

Some people recommend going a bit bigger. It’s mostly down to personal preference.

When you’re in the store, stand back from the TV the same distance you will be at home. That should tell you if it will be too big or small for comfortable viewing.

Once you have your size in mind, you need to determine your screen type. Your options are LCD, plasma and OLED.

Although LCD TVs substantially outsell plasma units, videophiles still prefer plasma for movie viewing and general TV watching because of the deep blacks and excellent colors and contrast. You can also view plasma screens from anywhere in the room and motion blur won't be an issue.